The effects of unauthorized status and employment verification laws on occupational injuries: Evidence from Mexican return migrants

• In Event: Back home: Well-being of return migrants in Mexico

Abstract

Occupational injuries are a major public health concern. Given their multiple disadvantages in the U.S. society, including in the workplace, unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. may be more likely to suffer an occupational injury than their authorized counterparts, but to our knowledge there are no studies that examine differences in the risk of occupational injury by immigrant legal status. Recently, many states have implemented employment verification laws to prevent the employment of unauthorized immigrants, which may isolate unauthorized workers in even more difficult and dangerous work within those states, exacerbating the risk of occupational injury. Focusing on the Mexican-born population, this study aims to analyze whether returned migrants who were unauthorized in the US are more likely to suffer occupational injuries than those authorized migrants and if the introduction of employment verification laws, specifically E-Verify mandates, affects this likelihood. The findings will inform public health efforts to reduce health disparities among immigrants and policy makers regarding the public health consequences of employment verification laws on an important sector of the U.S. workforce.

Author

• Pedro Paulo Orraca Romano, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte